rowi

Twitter apps have become a tough business these days, especially once Twitter imposed restrictions via ‘tokens’. This artificial wall basically punished popular apps by limiting how many customers could download and use the Twitter service via third-party systems. The latest company to throw in the towel is Rowi, built by the guys at Hidden Pineapple.

First coming onto the Windows Phone scene in early 2011, Rowi quickly became to the go-to Twitter app for many people. With its deep black and minimalist design, push notifications and all-around general smoothness, it was for a long time a shining example of Windows Phone development. Later, a Windows 8 version appeared as well.

It's a sad day, folks. Rowi has announced that their free version of their popular Twitter client for Windows Phone has reached the 100,000 user limit for tokens. This has provided the team with no other choice but to pull the app from the store. The paid version is still available though and if you previously purchased it, you'll have no problems should up switch to a new phone. In fact, there's nothing for paid users to worry about.

So what does this mean for Windows Phone consumers who are using the free, lite version?

Since we had no new Xbox Windows Phone release this week, the Xbox Red Stripe Deal is left to pick up the slack. And for once, it doesn’t disappoint! Yes, this week a game that HAS NEVER BEEN ON SALE BEFORE goes on sale. That doesn’t happen too often. What’s more, it’s one of the best games available!

Yes, Rayman Jungle Run from Ubisoft is the Xbox game on sale this week. What Windows Phone 8 gamer could resist it for only 99 cents? Rounding out the Red Stripe Deals are an indie game called 2150 A.D. from Lumosoft for 99 cents and the Twitter app Rowi from Hidden Pineapple for $1.49. Descriptions and Store links after the break.

A handful of weeks ago Hidden Pineapple teased about an upcoming update for Rowi. This morning the update is slowly propagated through the Windows Phone Store and should be available for everyone. Let’s check out what we get with the latest and greatest edition of Rowi.

The guys over at Hidden Pineapple have been busy bees lately. They’re the team behind popular Twitter client Rowi on both Windows Phone and Windows 8. Today they showed off some new features for the Windows Phone version of Rowi as well as a future app they’re developing.

Windows 8 ‘officially’ launched way back in late October of last year. However, developers and enthusiasts have been using it for much longer, so you’d think there would have been an official Twitter app at launch, right? Nope. Instead we didn’t hear that Twitter was working on an app until the ///BUILD developer conference in Redmond. Four months later, we now have Twitter for Windows 8.

The Rowi team has announced that they've pushed through updates for the popular Windows Phone Twitter app. For those who are out of the loop, there are two versions of Rowi on the store, one for Windows Phone 8 and the other for Windows Phone 7. It can get slightly confusing (especially when both are bumped to new builds), but bear with us as we head on through what's new.

The number of Twitter applications taking advantage of new features in Windows Phone 8 goes up almost every day it seems like. Today, Rowi gets an update that brings it to a level playing field with other apps like glƏƏk!, MeTweets and upcoming Twabbit. Observing the Windows Phone community the past few weeks you might notice a trend of each client having a loyal fan base.

So what can Rowi users look forward to in this new update? Read on, crouton.

Here’s a fun little experiment from Hidden Pineapple, the minds behind Windows Phone and Windows 8 Twitter client Rowi. It’s called mytil.es and is simply a place to share your Windows Phone 8 home screens.The site allows you to:

Although Windows Phone 8 is technically out most users are still waiting to get their hands on the new OS. Luckily, we're already seeing some major apps get bumped with new features such as CNN, SkyDrive and even Nokia's apps.

Rowi Twitter app is one of the more popular apps on the Windows Phone Store and they just posted a video showing off the new super-quick load time. The increase in speed is due to Windows Phone 8 just handling app launching and processing more efficiently, those 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs and in this case by removing the boot screen. The app also has the "fast resume" trick enabled whereby tapping the Live Tile after it is already running will not re-launch the app but instead just resume it.

The premium version of Rowi has been updated today, which introduces features implemented in the recent Rowi "Lite" release. Without repeating ourselves too much, this update to both versions of the Windows Phone Twitter client makes use of the Aviary SDK (see our earlier exclusive first look) for photo manipulation and editing.

As well as catering for the die-hard amateur photographers, version 2.1 also brings support for TweetMarker (website), a service that synchronises accounts across multiple clients and platforms. The update is rolling out for the paid version of Rowi as we speak, so fear not if you haven't received the notification just yet.

We showed you what the Aviary photo SDK was capable of doing the other day in Rowi version 2.1 and now that update is live, at least for the free "Lite" version of the app.

That's right, you can now start to upload super fantastic images all from within the app by using those new photo tools, thanks to Aviary's SDK. But that's not all, Rowi Lite version 2.1 also has multiple account support, something we've been wanting for ages as well as TweetMarker.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, TweetMarker (Tweetmarker.net) is a service that helps keep your Tweets in sync between certain desktop clients and your mobile. It comes in two flavors, free and the "Plus" version which costs an extra $2 a month--a nice option for you power users our there.

No fear though for you paid Rowi supporters as your update with all the above is right around the corner as well, so sit tight.

For now, pick up Rowi Lite version 2.1 here in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Rowi, the popular Twitter app for your Windows Phone, was recently updated and now it's on sale. Just to recap, here are some of the highlights of what version 2.0 brings to the table.

Instant resume

Fast app switching

Pin tweets and messages to the Start Screen

Retweets are now included in the list timelines

Photo previews for tweets in timelines

Conversation views on tweet details page

Tweet details now show who retweeted it

Now Playing added to the tweet screen to let you tweet about what you're listening to

Image upload services through Lockerz, yfrog, Twitter and Twitpic

Toast notifications now display inside of Rowi and take you to the new tweets when tapped

New remaining character counter for new tweets or messages

The ad free version normally runs $2.99 but is on sale through April 15, 2012 for just $.99. Should you really like ads, there is a free, ad supported version available (Rowi Lite). However, the free version does not have notifications or live tile support.

You can find Rowihere at the Windows Phone Marketplace and Rowi Litehere.

The popular Windows Phone Twitter app Rowi has undergone a major update. Version 2.0 brings a decent amount of enhancements, improvements and tweaks to Rowi as well as Mangofying the app.

Here are the highlights of the version 2.0 update:

Instant resume

Fast app switching

Pin tweets and messages to the Start Screen

Retweets are now included in the list timelines

Photo previews for tweets in timelines

Conversation views on tweet details page

Tweet details now show who retweeted it

Now Playing added to the tweet screen to let you tweet about what you're listening to

Image upload services through Lockerz, yfrog, Twitter and Twitpic

Toast notifications now display inside of Rowi and take you to the new tweets when tapped

New remaining character counter for new tweets or messages

And that just scratches the surface. You also have settings changes to make things a little simpler to tweak, layout changes to make things easier to navigate and read, as well as the customary refinements and bug fixes. You can find the full list of changes, improvements, and additions over at Rowi's website.

The update makes a good Twitter client for your Windows Phone better. Rowi is a nice looking, well laid out app and if you're looking for a Twitter client, Rowi deserves a try.

There are two versions of Rowi available. You have Rowi Lite that is a free, ad-supported version that lacks toast notifications, live tile updates for mentions or messages. Rowi, which is ad-free and will cost you $2.99. There is a free trial version of the ad-free version available to let you try before you buy. The trial version lacks the notifications but is ad-supported (basically the Lite version).

Developers of MetroTwit, a Windows-based Twitter client, and WP7 Twitter client Rowi, have teamed up in an exciting new venture. 'The Nest', as they have named it, is a cloud-based framework that will allow users to sync data between both applications across platforms. The first iterration will focus on column configuration and unread tweet state, though more features are expected to follow. Another benefit to users is that since state data will be synced, The Nest will also serve as a client backup of sorts for multiple installations or reinstalls.

The great thing about this partnership, aside from just being a straight-up cool idea, is that it takes development to new level. While most developers either specialize in a single platform or try to own them all, The Nest let's each stick to what they are good at, while offering a great solution to the end-user.

Looks like Rowi Twitter app is doing very well in the Marketplace, averaging 4.5 stars on 62 ratings--not too shabby at all. The paid version, which features push notifications and was demoed here (video), just hit v1.1 moments ago in the market. Changes include

Bug fixes (probaly related to DM's not clearing on the tile)

Load more tweets (when there are gaps in your home timeline)

Considered to be only a "minor" update, we're still liking where this is all going. We're also expecting a larger update in the future and even multiple account support (no pressure guys!) Grab it here.

We covered Rowi (free) a few weeks ago when they rolled out their fast-user lookup while writing a new Tweet (it really works brilliantly). At the time, we mentioned that the Rowi team was gearing up to release a paid version which loses the ads and gain push notifications/Live Tile functionality.

Well, that day is here as the full version was released over the weekend. We had an early look at the app and give it high praise for it's speed and minimalist appeal. The push notifications/Live Tile has been work very well for us and the overall "clean" look to the app is a nice departure from some other clients.

The app fetches for $2.99, which is a bit high for a Twitter client these days. But, even at that price, the app delivers and works exceptionally well. In other words, if you're a fan of the still-available free version aka Rowi Lite (with ads), you'll want to take this one for a trial spin.

We took the release-candidate for a spin and left impressed as we haven't seen an auto-complete feature instantiated as well as this yet in any Twitter app (Twitt comes close). Overall, if you're looking for a clean, lite and fast Twitter app, Rowi fills those requirements admirably. Also, look for a paid ad-free version in a few weeks, featuring push notifications. Grab Rowi Lite here in the Marketplace and look for v0.9.4 later this week, assuming Marketplace clearance.